UCF gets the NCAA Hammer - Well sort of...

The NCAA has been really busy as of late – first PSU and now UCF – Montana is still being scrutinized by the NCAA for some of their transgressions… Their main buzz word is lack of institutional control… I think this is why some were concerned about UND being on NCAA sanctions. After seeing how some have hammered I am worried as well. At least in this case this instance corrective action was not taken unilaterally.

[Official Press Release]

The University of Central Florida exhibited a lack of institutional control and was responsible for impermissible recruiting activities and extra benefits, according to a decision announced today by the Division I Committee on Infractions.

The case centered on what the committee noted was an ever-increasing problem in college athletics today, namely the involvement of outside third parties with prospects and student-athletes. This impermissible activity also resulted in findings of unethical conduct for the former director of athletics and a former assistant football coach and a failure to monitor by the head men’s basketball coach.

According to the findings, the impermissible recruiting activity undertaken by these third parties, who through their activity became athletics representatives of UCF, was both known by athletics department personnel, and, in some cases encouraged. As a result of the activity, the penalties in this case include five years of probation, a postseason ban in men’s basketball and football, show-cause orders for athletics department personnel, scholarship reductions, recruiting restrictions, a vacation of men’s basketball records and a $50,000 fine.

Two athletics representatives, one of whom was a nonscholastic coach, had significant telephone, off-campus and on-campus recruiting contact with six men’s basketball and five football prospective student-athletes. The nonscholastic coach’s recruiting activity led several prospects and parents to believe that he was a coach for the university.

It was evident that this athletics representative “was making an effort to develop a network of relationships with prospective student-athletes and, in turn, expand his sphere of influence within the collegiate coaching community,” according to the committee’s report.

Additionally, the representatives provided more than $16,000 to three prospects and two UCF student-athletes. Specifically, the representatives provided travel expenses, cash payments, tuition and a laptop computer.

The former director of athletics and the former assistant football coach engaged in unethical activity, according to the committee’s findings. Both individuals knowingly provided false and misleading information during interviews with UCF compliance and NCAA enforcement staff. Further, the former director of athletics failed to take steps to prevent the involvement of boosters in recruiting activities, and on at least one occasion, he became involved in a violation as a result of the representatives’ activity. The former director of athletics claimed that he was not aware of recruiting rules and thus did not know he was engaging in impermissible activity. The committee noted, “As the leader of the athletics department, it is incumbent upon the director of athletics to know basic rules governing the Association.”

The head men’s basketball coach failed to monitor when he did not stop or discourage the representatives’ activities, ask reasonable questions about the circumstances or report the violations. The report notes, “A head coach is not required to investigate wrongdoing, but is expected to recognize potential NCAA violations, address them and report them to the athletics administration.”

Because of the scope and nature of the findings, UCF lacked institutional control. This finding is supported by the fact that the UCF athletics department staff allowed third parties to be involved in recruiting activity and gave these individuals benefits and favors, including event tickets and access to the program.

Monday Links...

UND's NCHC rival the SCSU Huskies are making improvements to the National Hockey Center. Here is the link to the construction camera... [Click to Link] You can go back and see what they have changed.

Michigan Defenseman John Merrill is not going to go the professional route and will return to Michigan for his junior season. [The Michigan Daily]

Wisconsin Badgers defenseman John Ramage was at the Calgary Flames Development Camp this summer and this video was on the Flames official web page. John is the son of Former NHL great Rob Ramage that also played for the Calgary Flames..

Here is the video of former SCSU Huskies David Eddy who was also at the Calgary Flames development Camp as well.



Kim from Runs on Duncan had this observations of Joe Gleason...

Observations - Joe Gleason really showed off his wheels today. He led some rushes into the offensive zone and got back to backcheck quickly. He was pretty impressive today in his overall game.

A few things to get your blood rolling....

It’s the dog days of summer and it’s almost August and there isn’t a lot of hockey news to be had right now because it’s not hockey season.

Most college hockey fans are sitting on pins and needles waiting to see who else from their favorite college hockey team is going to sign a professional contract or bolt for the CHL.

The WCHA has lost a total of 12 players this summer already, the Denver University Pioneers are the team that has lost the most players this summer during the off-season.

Matthew Semisch from Radio Free Omaha has a great read on UNO situation; the Mavericks have had a tough summer in Omaha, Nebraska.

Also, the CBA is being negotiated in New York and there are a lot of us that are hoping that we won’t lose one minute of the NHL season. Especially, after the Stanley Cup Playoffs proved to be some very good hockey.

There is one NCAA Hockey Player on 2012 Canada-Russia Challenge in August, from this roster of 28 players, 22 will make the WJC roster in December 26, 2012 to January 5, 2013. This replaces the Canada WJC development camp from the summer.

The ice is coming out at the REA... s/t to Peter Bottini...

Larry Brown Sports has a very interesting article that is sure to spark some debate. Apparently, Sidney Crosby is the reason that Claude Giroux had to have surgery on both of his wrists after the Stanley Cup Playoffs were over.

The Flyers are feeling a little down after losing out on the Shea Weber sweepstakes. I am not sure if the rest of the league is going to feel sorry for the Flyers.

Frank Seravalli,Philly.com --- "I am sure it has been done before," Holmgren said of his summer. "We tried to add, in our minds, one of the best defensemen in the game to a good, young, up-and-coming team, and it didn't work. It was structured in a way we were hopeful they wouldn't match it. I learned at about 3:15 [on Tuesday] afternoon, and the initial reaction was disappointment, but I guess we move on."

Now, after Weber addressed the media, Holmgren probably can't help but feel a little bit used. Weber certainly seemed excited in a conference call, expressing his desire to finish his career in Nashville by asking the Predators for a no-movement clause in his new deal.

I know this one is old but It was a good read.

Lynn Zinser, Slap Shots Blog --- Just as the N.H.L. takes its turn in the line of lockout-mania, following the N.F.L. and N.B.A. to that well-worn labor dispute podium to howl that it needs economic relief from the players union, it prepared for this fight by doing what it does best. That is, throw gigantic and ridiculously long contracts at available free agents.

Yes, N.H.L. franchises are in dire financial straits, they will tell you, because of huge, onerous player contracts like the ones Minnesota just showered on Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. This is why the owners want a new collective bargaining agreement.

The Wild was not formerly a player in most discussions involving 13-year, $98 million contracts, but they now have twin ones. Only a few months ago, the Wild owner Craig Leipold told The Minneapolis Star-Tribune: “We’re not making money, and that’s one reason we need to fix our system. We need to fix how much we’re spending right now.”

Skrudland, 'Rocco at 90 Percent'

I am just catching up with a few things after being in Orlando, Florida this past week. There were a few people that were concerned about Rocco Grimaldi's knee and how he was progressing.

I know Brad E. Schlossman had posted somewhere earlier this summer that everything is going fine for the UND forward Rocco Grimaldi and that he should be ready for the start of the season.

I know this tweet from Chris Peters has got a few people concerned as well. I would imagine if Grimaldi has a strong first half of the season he will get a look from Team USA for the WJC. I am hoping that Chris can get us some more details as the summer goes along.

On the 14th of July the Florida Panthers' Director of Player Development Brian Skrudland was on the Pipeline show with Guy Flaming asked Brin Skrudland if Rocco Grimaldi was able to take part in the Panthers prosepect camp.

“No… He [Grimaldi] has been on skates – he has been training hard – the decision was just in a sense that he is that he is just really starting to feel comfortable and the one things about these kids even though it’s a development camp the competition is incredible ,” Skrudland said.

“That’s what makes this guy’s such quality people, here we are and we are out having some fun but I will tell you that each one of these kids hates to lose. I would have hated to play marbles with these guys when I was younger cause they are all bigger stronger and they probably would’ve all beat the living crap out of me especially with the mouth I had when I played the game of hockey.

But you know – they … I think for in Rocco’s case and in Carter Brickley’s case these two dealt with some injuries this past season, they were working hard off the ice and on the ice with their trainers. …To come to camp and have a setback wouldn’t be the right directions. We want them both to go back to their teams this year have a fabulous year and next year will be another opportunity.”

Guy asked Skrudland, “any reason to think that he won’t be ready to start the regular season, Rocco I mean?”

“None what- so-ever, none what-so- ever; he’s… his rehab has been tremendous, he’s almost working at 90% right so, throughout the remainder of the... the summer that strength should continue he should be just fine.”

You can listen to this podcast from July 14, 2012 by clicking on this link. 

This past Tuesday, Dillion Simpson was on the Pipeline show this past week... [segment 1], [segment 2], [segment 3]

Megna leaves UNO after one season

In reading this World Herald article from Rob White this early departures really doesn't make a lot of sense as well - Jayson Megna who tallied (13g-18a-31pts) didn't exactly stand out last season as one of the top players in the WCHA, but I guess he would like to take his chances on developing in the minor leagues.

Rob White, World Herald --- Jayson Megna, the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s second-leading returning scorer, decided to turn pro with one of three NHL organizations and won’t return for his sophomore season.

Megna, who attended a development camp with Pittsburgh earlier this month, said he’d decide among the Penguins, Boston Bruins and Winnipeg Jets this weekend. He said he had six or seven offers in all.

“Obviously it was a tough decision for me to leave school after playing there for a year, playing with my brother (defenseman Jaycob) and my other teammates,” Megna said. “I love the city and the fans. But I made a decision that I think is best for me and my career.”

Megna, who made the WCHA all-freshman team in 2011-12 after recording 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points, becomes another high-profile offseason departure for a program that slumped at the end of a 14-18-6 season.

Megna will be the 12th player this summer from the WCHA to for e-o their college eligibility and sign a professional contract.  Megna is an older player at 22 so he won't be going to the CHL route. 

Haula in trouble in Stillwater...

According to the Star and Tribune Gopher's Junior Erik Haula had a bit of an incident outside a Stillwater Bar at closing time. You got to know that WCHA fans of opposition teams are going to have a good time with this one.

An "extremely intoxicated" Minnesota Gopher hockey player stood on a street in Stillwater after bar closing time and urinated for others to witness, police said.

Forward Erik Haula, 21, was cited for misdemeanor disorderly conduct early Saturday and then turned over to a friend, whom police described as "somewhat sober."

The officer wrote in his report that he witnessed Haula "urinating while standing on Water St. on the west side of the Freight House [restaurant and bar] in plain view of the bar crowd after bar closing."

The officer also noted in his report that even though "it was clear that he was extremely intoxicated," the 2009 Minnesota Wild draft choice "was very cooperative. No problems."

Garry Bowman, a spokesman for the Athletic Department, said Friday that "Coach Lucia is aware of the incident. He has spoken to Erik and will handle it as an internal team matter."

Haula, a native of Finland, will be a junior this coming season for the Gophers. He led the team last season with 49 points, scoring 20 goals and earning 29 assists.

It is too bad that the Minnesota Gophers don't travel to Grand Forks, ND this season.

First off, I realize the college kids drink but peeing in the street after a bar closes is stupid – and is grounds for being arrested and or cited – just as peeing in an elevator is – neither offense is really better than the other one.

Will hockey go to a luxury tax like the MLB

This is an idea that would run counter to Redwing77's contraction idea that he threw out there yesterday in be the NHL Commissioner for a day. I kind of like the idea too - if your team goes over the salary cap, then that team would pay a luxury tax like Major League Baseball has. I don't know if you could get the more successful and more lucrative teams in the NHL to sign off on a deal like this.

Joe Haggerty, CSNNE.COM --- Instead the NHLPA is sitting, waiting and taking measure of which way the wind is blowing before releasing its own counter-proposal. One would expect that counter-move is coming sooner rather than later, and that it’s going to include creative ideas about revenue sharing.

After all, Fehr is the same union head that oversaw the change to a soft salary cap in Major League Baseball that essentially boils down to a luxury tax with heavy revenue sharing controls. The New York Yankees spend like drunken sailors and poverty-stricken teams like the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates end up the beneficiaries of the extra funds.

Fehr and the NHLPA have designs on something similar in the NHL where teams like the New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs have seemingly endless reserves of cash they could call upon when needed. That would make things more manageable for teams like the New Jersey Devils and Phoenix Coyotes that are facing economic difficulties. That system could help the “struggling” small market franchises that are driving the owners to a “we are losing money” argument despite a record $3.3 billion in revenues last season.

But it would also be a large departure for teams like New York, Toronto, Chicago and Boston that don’t want to bankroll the rest of the league based on their own successful business models. It’s not the business that any owners signed up for when they joined the NHL, but it might just be the best solution to get everybody what they’re seeking.

One thing that proposal will do: get the small market and big market NHL owners fighting among each other given the very different situations they’re each facing.

What do you think? Also, do you think the NHL is going to have a prolonged work stoppage or are the two sides going to be able to work out their differences quickly. Some have said that the NHL has a lot to lose if they don't have their winter classic and wouldn't like to have a long drawn out work stoppage.

Oh Yeah they have a web page...

s/t to Bridget Brooks of Mav Puck - Oh yeah the webpage is back up again. Looks good. I guess the discussion from the last week is a moot point eh?

Like I said - the NCHC doesn't play for another year if they have a web page or not is inconsequential and some seem to think that it's a bigger deal than it really was that the NCHC allowed "THE DOMAIN EXPIRED"... By the way the new site looks good.

Big Ten lacks a page for their hockey teams too...

First off, we all know that there is always going to be a lot of hate going the NCHC's way. That's a fact - some take it further than others. No mater what happens to the NCHC the league is always going to have it's detractors.

Checking the calender, the NCHC or the B1G have yet to play a single hockey game - so neither league would need to have a web page yet.

I would be willing to bet that most of the NCHC fans don't care if the NCHC had a webpage and let it lapse either. I personally am happy that we don't have anyone running the league named Shepherd or McLeod.

Of course we have the fans that exclaim that the NCHC is going down the tubes because they let their web page lapse. As far as I know the NCHC hasn't hired a media relations person yet - most of the press releases are coming out of Denver University. 

I guess we could start the, oh my God the Big Ten Conference doesn't have a web link for Men Ice Hockey. How can that be? They must be poorly run.

Be the NHL Commissioner for One Day - RW77

Ok, I got this idea from ESPN writers Tim Boughton, David Walton, and Paul Grant.  You can read their entries here.  Here are the "rules."  You are commissioner instead of Gary Bettman for one day.  Every rule you make would theoretically stand within reason.  EVERYTHING regarding the game is fair play.

The comment section is for readers to give suggestions of their own ideas.  I encourage all of the Goon World writers who are NHL fans to compose their own version.

Lastly:  All suggestions in this blog are my own.  They are not the opinions of anyone associated with the NHL, ESPN, or any outside entity.

Here we go!

First, contraction and relocation of teams.  I would relocate two teams:  Phoenix and New York Islanders.  It's hard to name a team like the Islanders for relocation after their storied history but their glory days are well in the past and they are now in a market that cannot do them justice.  Phoenix is just common sense.  The places I'd consider?  Houston, Texas, Las Vegas, NV, Hamilton, ON, and Quebec City, Que.  Houston is an intriguing, but risky option.  It may not be any better than Phoenix.  However, like Las Vegas, it does keep with the philosophy of trying to bring the NHL product to a non-conventional market.  Las Vegas has its own issues, but I can't see it being any worse than Columbus, Atlanta, and Phoenix.  ESPN talks about places like Halifax, NS and Seattle, WA.  Halifax probably won't work, but if you were to take a risk on a Canadian market, it might be the city to go to.  As for Seattle?  No.  Lived there for two years and NO ONE cared about hockey.  NO ONE.  This has Florida Panthers written ALL OVER IT. 

Anyways, contraction is next.  Florida and Columbus, you'd been great.  Gave it the old try, but.  See ya later.  Hold no regrets because there was nothing you could have done.  Hold the dispersal draft in September.  Earlier in he month the better.

Second, redesignation of the job currently held by Brenden Shanahan.  Brenden Shanahan's position currently is under the direction of one of the possibly worst discipline bosses in NHL history in Colin Campbell.  Unless I can fire Campbell, I would remove Shanahan's position from Campbell's department and make Shanahan report directly to the Commissioner and no one else.  I believe that Shanahan was hamstrung by idiocy above him and in many ways was forced to make some of the decisions he did or was completely removed from the equation altogether.  Reemphasize that NO ONE is exempt.  Not some noname 1 game wonder.  Not Sidney "Hockey Jesus" Crosby.  No one.  Then sit back and watch what happens.  If things do not improve next season, then Shanahan is removed and someone else takes over.

Third, ok, I said assuming I cannot fire Campbell...  well I'm contradicting myself because I'm firing Gary Bettman.  The guy is a snake.  Yes, you can argue that in many cases the NHL has improved under his watch but in other cases, such as overexpansion, TV contracts, and labor negotiations, it's been a train wreck.  His penchant for latching onto one player and/or one team and riding them like a show pony at the 4-H Invitational isn't helping.  We need a commissioner that sees value in ALL teams equally regardless of whether or not blockbuster players like Crosby or Malkin or Ovechkin play for them.  Bettman sees the rest of the league outside Pittsburgh as an afterthought and all other than Crosby as also rans.  It might have worked for Michael Jordan but it doesn't work here.  I don't know who I'd hire.  The blog writers at ESPN suggested George McPhee and a list of HOFers like Gretzky, Lemieux, Yzerman, etc.  I'm not connected enough to make a suggestion.  All I know is who NOT to make commissioner.  That falls to Gretzky and Lemieux.  Gretzky because he's shown that in administrative capacities, he's a failure.  Lemieux because he is two faced.  He despises cheap shots and foul play in the NHL yet refuses to point out his own team as leading the way in that category.

Fourth, fighting.  I will not ban fighting.  However, I do not like fighting either.  The instigator rule has been a black eye on the sport.  Yes, it's done some good:  Such as making the carrying of an Enforcer type player very costly to a team.  But it also has promoted more cheap shots.  But the problem of fighting goes BEYOND just this in the fact that fights often happen after clean, legit hits that are interpretted as dirty.  Hockey is a fast game, sure, but just because there was a big hit doesn't mean you need to drop the gloves.  So in the end, I'd drop the instigator rule and then start up a committee consisting of former NHL players, current NHL players, and NHL officials, under the directorship of Brendan Shanahan to study this issue and make rule changes accordingly.

Fifth, rule changes in general.  Keep the Hybrid icing.  Lose the Tapezoid.  Listen to innovators and be active trying things out in junior leagues or whatnot.  But when the next big batch of rule changes come out..... STOP.  Let's not change the rules every year or two or five.  And lets not make drastic changes to the game without giving it some serious thought through observation at a lower level of hockey.

Lastly, I'd make revenue sharing as close to 50-50 as feasible.  I cannot in good conscience make it 50-50 but I could see something like 52-48 or 53-47.

Why should we care if the NCHC doesn't have a web page yet?

First off, it's true if you click on the link for the NCHC there will "not" be a web page for the NCHC. Second, can someone give me the link to the B1G hockey page.... [Crickets Chirping] So it’s one year plus before the NCHC kicks off – someone who hates everything that is the NCHC hockey – seems to think it’s important that the NCHC has a webpage/home page. Really! Are you kidding me? First off webpages don’t make a hockey conference that hasn’t even begun play yet.

Also, don't believe the hype by some of the self appointed experts that say that the NCHC doesn't have any name recognition and or appeal... The NCHC is going to be a power conference whether some want to acknowledge it or not.  

It's Hammer time for UND hockey

In what could be considered as a interesting - if not shocking development - UND hockey as well as other UND sports will have a new face on the television screen this up coming season. Apparently, Dan Hammer will be the voice of UND Hockey instead of Pat Sweeney.

First off, I am actually shocked that we will no longer see Pat Sweeney calling UND hockey games. Sweeney has been calling UND hockey games for a very long time. Having had the opportunity to meet Pat Sweeney during the Wednesday press conferences, I can say that Pat Sweeney is a very nice person and a fun person to interact with.

Big day in Hockey....

18, Nathan Horton, Bruins RW Washington Capitals at Boston Bruins, December 18, 2010 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the middle of the dog day of summer  - when we should be thinking about which watering hole we should be cooling ourselves off in - there are actually quite a few hockey stories... It's hot summer days like this that makes hockey fans long for the hockey season.

First off, the Boston Bruins got some Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid and forward Nathan Horton have been cleared to resume contact.

Douglas Flynn, NESN.COM --- There was also positive news to report for the players Julien will have at his disposal in the coming season, with general manager Peter Chiarelli offering optimistic updates on all of the Bruins recovering from injuries suffered last season.

The biggest of those is top-line forward Nathan Horton, who suffered his second concussion in less than a year on a hit from Philadelphia's Tom Sestito on Jan. 22. Horton did not play again last season, but Chiarelli confirmed that the rugged winger should be ready to go when the Bruins get back on the ice.

"Nathan Horton has been cleared for contact," Chiarelli said. "And by all accounts from our medical staff will be ready to play when it's time to play." Horton's first season in Boston ended in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final when he suffered a concussion on Aaron Rome's late hit.

After a slow start, he had returned strong from that injury with 17-15-32 totals in just 46 games last year, putting him on a 30-goal pace before suffering his second concussion in Philadelphia. Horton's absence had a ripple effect throughout the lineup and contributed to Boston's struggles to score at times, most notably in the first-round loss to Washington in the playoffs.

His return to the lineup, and his return to his pre-injury form, will be a key for the Bruins in the upcoming season.

The Bruins will also benefit from the return of defenseman Adam McQuaid, who has been "completely cleared" to return from his season-ending concussion, according to Chiarelli. The Bruins GM also noted that the oblique injury that hampered center Patrice Bergeron in the postseason will not be an issue going forward. "

In case we need to have our memory refreshed this hit by the Flyers Tom Sestito on Nathan Horton that took out Horton for the rest of the season. I believe that getting Horton back is like a free agent pickup for the Boston Bruins.



In one of the more shocking hockey news stories of the day - the Nashville Predators matched the Philadelphia Flyers ridiculous and expensive offer sheet. In my opinion, it was nice to see the Predators step up and match the Flyers offer sheet. It's kind of a thumb in the eyes for the Flyers.

Nashville, Tenn. (July 24, 2012) – In the most important hockey transaction in franchise history, Nashville Predators Chairman Tom Cigarran, President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile and CEO Jeff Cogen announced today that the team has matched the 14-year, $110 million offer sheet between the Philadelphia Flyers and defenseman Shea Weber, insuring that the Predators' captain will remain with the franchise for the next 14 years. The decision to enter into the largest contract in franchise history was made by all parts of the organization, including ownership, hockey operations and business operations.

As the organization analyzed the overall situation and worked toward a conclusion, the decision boiled down to three questions:

- Was Shea Weber the individual that this franchise wanted to lead our team, a team that would compete for the Stanley Cup every year, for the next 14 years?

- Would matching the offer sheet be in the best long-term interest of the team and organization?

- Would a decision not to match the offer sheet send a negative message to current Predators players and other NHL organizations, a message that the Predators would only go so far to protect its best players and be pushed around by teams with "deep pockets?"

Byfuglien skates on Impaired-boating charge

The Jets Defenseman Dustin Byfuglien has reached a plea agreement and will not be charged with the impaired-boating charge. I think it's a win for the Byfuglien camp. The Winnipeg Jets said that they're happy to have this incident behind them because now Byfuglien can concentrate on just playing hockey.

Mike McIntyre, Winnipeg Free Press -- Dustin Byfuglien has resolved his criminal trial in much the same way he's becoming known for playing hockey -- leaving a trail of mystery, debate and controversy in his wake.

The talented but sometimes frustrating Winnipeg Jets defenceman walked into a downtown Minneapolis courthouse Monday morning expecting to begin a week-long jury trial. But he skated out of danger less than an hour later, courtesy of a last-minute plea bargain that leaves many questions unanswered, including what prompted authorities to believe he was boating while impaired last summer.

Byfuglien pleaded guilty to a misdemeanour charge of careless boating, which pertains only to the fact he didn't have proper lighting on his boat when stopped by police last summer. He was given a $1,000 fine and 30-day jail sentence, of which 28 days were suspended and two days converted to community service work. In exchange, prosecutors dropped more serious charges of impaired boating and refusing a blood or urine test.

The suspended time would only be revisited if Byfuglien re-offends during that period.

Bruins extend their head coach Claude Julien

The Boston Bruins have signed their head coach to a new contract. Julien lead the Boston Bruins to the Stanley Cup championship during the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs. There is a news conference scheduled for today at 12:00 noon eastern time.

BOSTON, MA – Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today, July 23, that the club has signed Head Coach Claude Julien to a multi-year contract extension. Chiarelli and Julien will speak to media about the extension on Tuesday, July 24.M

Julien, named the 28th head coach in Bruins history on June 21, 2007, led Boston to the club’s first Stanley Cup Championship in 39 years in 2011, following a 4-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7. In five seasons behind the B’s bench, Julien has led the club to an overall record of 228-132-50 (.617 win percentage). His 410 Bruins games coached rank third all-time in club history and he is fourth all-time in Boston wins, trailing only Art Ross (361), Milt Schmidt (245) and Don Cherry (231). During his tenure, Julien’s squads have never missed the postseason, registering a career playoff record of 36-27 (.571 win percentage) to rank first all-time among B’s bench bosses in post-season victories.

In January, Julien was named head coach for Zdeno Chara’s team at the 2012 NHL All-Star Game, making his second appearance, having served as head coach at the 2009 NHL All-Star Game in Montreal.

In 2011-12, Julien led the Black & Gold to its fifth consecutive season recording 91 or more points with 102, and the second straight season above 100, after reaching 103 points in 2010-11. Under Julien, the B’s did not suffer a regulation loss in the month of November with a 12-0-1 record and recorded the most points (25) in a single month since a 25-point March in 1978. It also marked the first full calendar month without a regulation loss since finishing January, 1969 with a 10-0-4 mark. Boston’s 10-game win streak from November 1-23 tied for the fourth-longest streak in team history and was their longest win streak since a 10-game stretch from December 12, 2008-January 1, 2009. Within that same span, Julien led the Bruins to a 15-game point streak (14-0-1) from November 1-December 5, the club’s longest such streak since 1983.

The 2011-12 season for Julien also marked the first time his Bruins swept Toronto since the Maple Leafs joined the Eastern Conference in 1998-99, in addition to registering the best single-season shootout record (9-3) recorded in team history. The ability to keep his bench composed late in games led the Black & Gold to record a +42 third-period goal differential this season, which was higher than the overall differential of all but four NHL clubs. Julien’s B’s also posted a league-best overall goal differential of +67.

So is Montana next?

You have to wonder if the University of Montana is next? While the situation at the University of Montana isn't quite as bad as the issues at Penn State - the situation is not good either - let's not forget that the NCAA did set a precedent with Penn State University.

Montana is sitting out there with some serious allegations of criminal wrong doing. I don't know if I would like to be their athletic director right now. In fact he might be just a little bit worried; I wouldn't want to be an administrator on  a campus that had the attention of the NCAA right now. 

Gwen Floario, Missoulian.com --- “The NCAA just can’t look only at Penn State if they take this leap,” said Ridpath, author of “Tainted Glory: Marshall University, the NCAA, and One Man’s Fight for Justice.”

The NCAA has not said what brought its investigators to UM. But the school also is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department for how it handles reports of rape and sexual assault, and the U.S. Department of Education has its own investigation into allegations of harassment by members of the football team.

UM President Royce Engstrom said Monday he hasn’t heard from the NCAA since the organization notified him Jan. 30 of its investigation into unspecified allegations. At that point, the NCAA said such investigations usually take about six months.

“I don’t know how strictly they adhere to those timelines they set for themselves,” Engstrom said. “I think until we hear from the NCAA we are just going to go about improving things the way that I’ve discussed throughout this.”

-----(SNIP)------

When the alleged gang rapes at UM originally came to light in December, then-Vice President Jim Foley described them as “date rapes” and later, in an email obtained in a joint FOIA request by the Missoulian and the Wall Street Journal, complained about media accounts that didn’t use his preferred term. In another email, he questioned whether a victim who had spoken publicly about her ordeal had violated the Student Code of Conduct.

Engstrom announced last month that Foley had resigned as vice president, although he will retain his university job and nearly $126,000 salary through the end of his contract in June 2013.

The Paterno family speaks

 I take issue with the first statement right out of the gate... What do you think?

Here is the Paterno family’s full statement:
 
Sexual abuse is reprehensible, especially when it involves children, and no one starting with Joe Paterno condones or minimizes it. The horrific acts committed by Jerry Sandusky shock the conscience of every decent human being. How Sandusky was able to get away with his crimes for so long has yet to be fully understood, despite the claims and assertions of the Freeh report.

The release of the Freeh report has triggered an avalanche of vitriol, condemnation and posthumous punishment on Joe Paterno. The NCAA has now become the latest party to accept the report as the final word on the Sandusky scandal. The sanctions announced by the NCAA today defame the legacy and contributions of a great coach and educator without any input from our family or those who knew him best.

That the President, the Athletic Director and the Board of Trustees accepted this unprecedented action by the NCAA without requiring a full due process hearing before the Committee on Infractions is an abdication of their responsibilities and a breach of their fiduciary duties to the University and the 500,000 alumni. Punishing past, present and future students of the University because of Sandusky’s crimes does not serve justice. This is not a fair or thoughtful action; it is a panicked response to the public’s understandable revulsion at what Sandusky did.

The point of due process is to protect against this sort of reflexive action. Joe Paterno was never interviewed by the University or the Freeh Group. His counsel has not been able to interview key witnesses as they are represented by counsel related to ongoing litigation. We have had no access to the records reviewed by the Freeh group. The NCAA never contacted our family or our legal counsel. And the fact that several parties have pending trials that could produce evidence and testimony relevant to this matter has been totally discounted.

Unfortunately all of these facts have been ignored by the NCAA, the Freeh Group and the University.

Hakstol, 'Joe Gleason the epitome of a great teammate'

I don't know how any of us can think about hockey right now, when it's been this hot. I saw this video over on Brad Schlossman's blog and it got me thinking about Joe Gleason and his style of play - I call him the utility player because he does whatever is asked of him and has played every position but goal for the Fighting Sioux.

Recently, Gleason was at the Chicago Blackhawks prospects camp.

This is what UND head coach Dave Hakstol had to say when he was asked about Joe Gleason last season when asked about the junior forward's selfless play.

“Joe Gleason the epitome of a great teammate.”

“Joe is a proud guy and he obviously wants to play, he was recruited here as a defenseman, and both night this weekend he played defense, he played center and he played right wing. I guess I would describe it as invaluable in a team setting. He is doing whatever the teams needs, he not just going out and doing it, but going out and doing it well.”

Breaking down the sanctions

The Penn State Nittany Lions American football team takes the field (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The NCAA has spoken – Penn State will play a $60 million fine – they will face a four-year postseason ban – lose a total of 10 scholarships for four years. Lastly, all of Joe Paterno’s team’s victories from 1998 to 2011 have been vacated and he loses 111 career wins. So by deducting the  111 career wins from Joe Paterno's win total he is no longer the all-time winningest coach in NCAA football history.

Penn State has signed off on the agreement with the NCAA to accept these harsh penalties.

With the correction, Paterno goes from number one all-times winningest coach to eighth on the all-time wins list. Paterno is fifth among FBS coaches.

Here is a breakdown of the NCAA Penalties – while it’s not the death penalty the sanctions are harsh.

$60 million fine. The NCAA imposes a $60 million fine, equivalent to the approximate average of one year's gross revenues from the Penn State football program, to be paid over a five-year period beginning in 2012 into an endowment for programs preventing child sexual abuse and/or assisting the victims of child sexual abuse. The minimum annual payment will be $12 million until the $60 million is paid. The proceeds of this fine may not be used to fund programs at the University. No current sponsored athletic team may be reduced or eliminated in order to fund this fine.

Four-year postseason ban. The NCAA imposes a four-year postseason ban on participation in postseason play in the sport of football, beginning with the 2012-2013 academic year and expiring at the conclusion of the 2015-2016 academic year. Therefore, the University's football team shall end its 2012 season and each season through 2015 with the playing if its last regularly scheduled, in-season contest and shall not be eligible to participate in any postseason competition, including a conference championship, any bowl game, or any postseason playoff competition.

Four-year reduction of grants-in-aid. For a period of four years commencing with the 2013-2014 academic year and expiring at the conclusion of the 2016-2017 academic year, the NCAA imposes a limit of 15 initial grants-in-aid (from a maximum of 25 allowed) and for a period of four years commencing with the 2014-2015 academic year and expiring at the conclusion of the 2017-2018 academic year a limit of 65 total grants-in-aid (from a maximum of 85 allowed) for football during each of those specified years. In the event the total number of grants-in-aid drops below 65, the University may award grants-in-aid to non-scholarship student-athletes who have been members of the football program as allowed under Bylaw 15.5.6.3.6.

Five years of probation. The NCAA imposes this period of probation, which will include the appointment of an on-campus, independent Integrity Monitor and periodic reporting as detailed in the Corrective Component of this Consent Decree. Failure to comply with the Consent Decree during this probationary period may result in additional, more severe sanctions.

Vacation of wins since 1998. The NCAA vacates all wins of the Penn State football team from 1998 to 2011. The career record of Coach “Joe” Paterno will reflect the vacated records.

Waiver of transfer rules and grant-in-aid retention. Any entering or returning football student-athlete will be allowed to immediately transfer and will be eligible to immediately compete at the transfer institution, provided he is otherwise eligible. Any football student-athlete who wants to remain at the University may retain his athletic grant-in-aid, as long as he meets and maintains applicable academic requirements, regardless of whether he competes on the football team.

There is no doubt that the NCAA hammered Penn State – hard - to quote Brandon Noble a former PSU football player that was on ESPN the morning and he said, “The NCAA has opened up a can of worms.”

There are many that have asked the question, why act now? Why not wait for the investigations to finish before the NCAA acted against Penn State University.

Ed Ray, the president of Oregon State and chairman of the N.C.A.A.'s executive committee, said the case, and the sanctions imposed, represented a declaration by university presidents and chancellors that “this has to stop.” By that he meant a win at all costs mentality with respect to intercollegiate sports.

“We’ve had enough,” he said. [New York Times]

Penn State is also not done being punished – they still have to face the Big Ten who is also set to announced that they are going to take away their share of the bowl revenue for the next four seasons and they won’t be able to play in the Big Ten Conference championship for the next four season that means Penn State will suffer about a 13 million dollar hit – that’s a huge loss for PSU.

Penn State failures draw unprecedented NCAA sanctions

The NCAA throws the book at Penn State...

Official Statement

By perpetuating a "football first" culture that ultimately enabled serial child sexual abuse to occur, The Pennsylvania State University leadership failed to value and uphold institutional integrity, resulting in a breach of the NCAA constitution and rules. The NCAA Division I Board of Directors and NCAA Executive Committee directed Association President Mark Emmert to examine the circumstances and determine appropriate action in consultation with these presidential bodies.

"As we evaluated the situation, the victims affected by Jerry Sandusky and the efforts by many to conceal his crimes informed our actions," said Emmert. "At our core, we are educators. Penn State leadership lost sight of that."

According to the NCAA conclusions and sanctions, the Freeh Report "presents an unprecedented failure of institutional integrity leading to a culture in which a football program was held in higher esteem than the values of the institution, the values of the NCAA, the values of higher education, and most disturbingly the values of human decency."

As a result, the NCAA imposed a $60 million sanction on the university, which is equivalent to the average gross annual revenue of the football program. These funds must be paid into an endowment for external programs preventing child sexual abuse or assisting victims and may not be used to fund such programs at the university.

The sanctions also include a four-year football postseason ban and a vacation of all wins from 1998 through 2011. The career record of former head football coach Joe Paterno will reflect these vacated records. Penn State must also reduce 10 initial and 20 total scholarships each year for a four-year period. In addition, the NCAA reserves the right to impose additional sanctions on involved individuals at the conclusion of any criminal proceedings.

The NCAA recognizes that student-athletes are not responsible for these events and worked to minimize the impact of its sanctions on current and incoming football student-athletes. Any entering or returning student-athlete will be allowed to immediately transfer and compete at another school. Further, any football student-athletes who remain at the university may retain their scholarships, regardless of whether they compete on the team.

To further integrate the athletics department into the university, Penn State will be required to enter into an "Athletics Integrity Agreement" with the NCAA. It also must adopt all Freeh Report recommendations and appoint an independent, NCAA-selected Athletics Integrity Monitor, who will oversee compliance with the agreement.

Effective immediately, the university faces five years of probation. Specifically, the university is subject to more severe penalties if it does not adhere to these requirements or violates NCAA rules in any sport during this time period.

"There has been much speculation on whether or not the NCAA has the authority to impose any type of penalty related to Penn State," said Ed Ray, Executive Committee chair and Oregon State president. "This egregious behavior not only goes against our rules and constitution, but also against our values."

Because Penn State accepted the Freeh Report factual findings, which the university itself commissioned, the NCAA determined traditional investigative proceedings would be redundant and unnecessary.

"We cannot look to NCAA history to determine how to handle circumstances so disturbing, shocking and disappointing," said Emmert. "As the individuals charged with governing college sports, we have a responsibility to act. These events should serve as a call to every single school and athletics department to take an honest look at its campus environment and eradicate the 'sports are king' mindset that can so dramatically cloud the judgment of educators."

Penn State fully cooperated with the NCAA on this examination of the issues and took decisive action in removing individuals in leadership who were culpable.

"The actions already taken by the new Penn State Board of Trustees chair Karen Peetz and Penn State President Rodney Erickson have demonstrated a strong desire and determination to take the steps necessary for Penn State to right these severe wrongs," said Emmert.

Redwing77's Perspective on the Penn State Debacle

There's a lot going on and a lot have been discussed by Goon or by commentators on the posts and at large by any and all media members even on an international scale (BBC is covering it).  And the truth is, this situation has gone beyond simply a bad man doing bad things.  It's become a blemish on collegiate sports in general... even though bad stuff has been happening for a long time now.

Some say it is cultural

I had a discussion (still ongoing) over Twitter with a Ira Socol who wrote a very interesting and well researched blog post. He states that Penn State be allowed to play... but they should play the entire season with empty stands.

This is not an unprecedented thing.  In his article, he cites 3 soccer teams that had to play 5 games (2 teams played 1 game each and one other played the last 2 games) without fans in attendence.  However, he cites the reasoning behind this and all of the reasons stem from actions of the FANS with relation to the team.  One was racial abuse to a player.  Another was due to physical violence where a fan ran onto the field and attacked a visitng player.  All of this is caused by violence.

But what of Penn State's situation?  He argues that the culture that surrounds Penn State football is of such blind devotion that it basically produced an environment where this act would seem not permissable but certainly capable of being covered up.  He argues that without this societal and cultural smokescreen, Penn State would not have gotten away with such an act for as long as they had.

I believe he's partially correct.  Society did not cause Sandusky to molest those boys.  It didn't stop McQueary from stopping the abuse (which he did not) or prevent him from notifying Paterno.  It did not cause the wheels to stop turning.  The prestige and power that those in the know had was threated by the Sandusky thing and couple that with their corrupt need for such power, they did not act.

THAT is the prominant issue with this affair.  Society may act like an enabler but it takes corruption and bad ethics to become enabled. 

There is no excuse for what happened at Penn State.  And they should pay.  The problem is:  Why punish the fans?  They did not perform 45 acts of sexual abuse.  They did not smear the name of Penn State, really.  They did not commit any violent act or any racially motivated abuse of the caliber that those European soccer teams were punished for.

The truth is that we have to be careful with this line of thought.  It is perilously close to saying that Penn State was merely abiding by the tolerances of society rather than trying to save their own power and prestige by covering up a heinous atrocity.

So what is the Price to be paid?

Since I do not believe in punishing the fans, I think that I would do the following:

1.  SIGNIFICANT reduction of scholarships for more than 4 years.
2.  No bowl games for the same time period that there are reductions of scholarships
3.  Asterisks by all of Paterno's records
4.  Joe Paterno's name and likeness should be removed from all signs, visual aids, and media in and around Beaver Stadium and other PSU athletic facilities.
5.  For the entire season, box seats will be closed and all general admission seats will be issued at the discretion of the Penn Statue AD and Administration at the price of FREE.  The students will still get their section or sections.
6.  All institutional support for the team is suspended for 1 year.  No band.  No cheerleaders.  No halftime shows. No fundraisers that would raise money for athletics at Penn State.
7.  All money that would normally be gathered for the athletic department that comes through on-site merchandise sales, concessions, and any items sold at the Stadium be immediately forfeited to either go towards general scholarship funding, a University sanctioned event or organization not related to the Athletic department, or to a charity. 
8.  (This one isn't possible but I can dream)  A media blackout.  NO Penn State Home Games will be televised locally, regionally, or nationally for one year.  If you don't go to Beaver Stadium, you don't see or hear the game.  PERIOD.

All academic services provided to athletes, such as tutoring and the like, will continue as normal. 

The NCAA says there is no Death Penalty but I argue that there is.  If Penn State does not get the Death Penalty, which I believe they won't, I believe that the NCAA has doled out the last death penalty ever:  to the Death Penalty.  There is no situation, therefore, that would warrant it so the threat of a Death Penalty becomes null and void.  It no longer exists, folks.  No need to fear.

The true debate is:  Where do the NON football athletics and Penn State fit into this?

Judgement day for Penn State

What I have read today - the sanctions that Penn State University is going to experience - is going to be more punitive than if the Penn State University football program had suffered the death penalty.

I am not sure how that is possible? According to all of the reports, "Unprecedented," said one NCAA source. "This is just unprecedented."

So just what is it that we will see tomorrow in the way of punishment that is so unprecedented? It will be something we have never seen before.

If there is no death penalty for Penn State University - what penalty would be unprecedented that we have never seen anything like it before? There are some that aren't happy about the NCAA deciding to punish Penn State without even so much as a hearing and it appears that Mark Emmert was the lone arbiter on this mater as well. Some are going to ask as well - what actual NCAA violation was violated?

(ESPN.com) --- NCAA president Mark Emmert has decided to punish Penn State with severe penalties likely to include a significant loss of scholarships and loss of multiple bowls, a source close to the decision told ESPN's Joe Schad on Sunday morning.

But Penn State will not receive the so-called "death penalty" that would have suspended the program for at least one year, the source said.

The penalties, however, are considered to be so harsh that the death penalty may have been preferable, the source said.

The NCAA will announce "corrective and punitive measures" for Penn State on Monday morning, it said in a statement Sunday. Emmert will reveal the sanctions at 9 a.m. ET in Indianapolis at the organization's headquarters along with Ed Ray, the chairman of the NCAA's executive committee, and Oregon State's president, the news release said.

It is expected the NCAA Division I Board of Directors and/or the NCAA Executive Committee has granted Emmert the authority to punish through nontraditional methods, the source told Schad.

This begs the question - what stops the NCAA to just punishing schools without so much of a hearing? Who is the arbiter? Who decides the punishment? Where is the due process? I have no problem with the NCAA giving something in the way of punishment to Penn State - however - do they not have the benefit of at least being heard?

According to Rival.com Penn State is going to have 10-plus [scholarships stripped] for four years or five years - plus a multi year bowl ban.

Fehr gets next move in labor talks

I have been reading some of the articles about the CBA discussions and the Blue Jackets Extra has had an interesting article about the on-going CBA discussion.

You have to wonder what the players are going to do next in the CBA talks. I am a little anxious, because Donald Fehr is involved in the talks on the side of the players - that being said, Fehr was successful in 1990, as he won a negotiated settlement worth $280 million against the MLB owners over free agency collusion when he was the executive director of the MLBPA.

It will be interesting to see what the players come up with in the way of a counter proposal. None of us want to see another work stoppage.

Aaron Portzline, Bluejacketsxtra.com --- If whispers around the league are any indication, and if union executive director Donald Fehr’s reputation still holds true from his days atop major league baseball’s union, it will include aggressive, creative ideas to dramatically increase the NHL’s level of revenue sharing.

It will pit not just owners vs. players, but owners vs. owners.

“Knowing Donald Fehr, I will be shocked if that’s not part of his proposal, and a big part of it,” said Gary Roberts, dean of the Indiana University School of Law. “Salary caps do not work very well — or for very long — if you have a great disparity of revenue between clubs.

“You either set the cap so low that some teams make enormous profits — that doesn’t sit well with the players — or you set it so high that the clubs in smaller markets just can’t keep up.”

Here is one proposal that the players are kicking around according to the Columbus Dispatch beat writer for the Columbus Blue Jackets Aaron Portzline.

One source told The Dispatch that Fehr “has considered lots of creative ideas.” One idea, the source said, would allow small-market clubs to “trade” their salary-cap space to wealthy clubs for draft picks or cash.

“The mechanism isn’t hard to come up with,” Roberts said. “It’s the internal politics of it that make it difficult to put in place. You have the most wealthy, most powerful owners in the sport who are going to rise up and fight this. “But before you label them as greedy, and unwilling to share for the good of the league, you have to consider their perspectives. They bought those franchises and paid a price that was based on the expected revenue stream. Now, all of a sudden, you’re telling them they have to take a big chunk of that stream and give it to somebody else.”

This is definitely a creative proposal and it will be interesting to see if the owners accept this idea or not because it will pit the big market owners against the small market owners.